I am Linda and along with my husband Richard and our dog Muffin we enjoy our summers on the UK's canal system

Saturday, 22 September 2012

Friday 21st September

Oh boy did it rain during the night but we were as snug as bugs!

Gradually the basin began to fill up with the other boats going across the Ribble – 4 narrow boats (Mary H, Muffin, Kimberley Jo and the grey boat) and 1 wide beam (Tamora).There was quite an atmosphere of camaraderie as we waited for the C&RT lock keepers to arrive - we were all waiting to start on an intrepid adventure where no man has ever been before – oh sorry I’m getting a bit carried away here!!Anyway we were all waiting for the same thing and we were all rookies.The lock keepers arrived and we joined Muffin in the top staircase lock – backwards as we had come up!Apparently if it had rained for an hour longer during the night we wouldn’t have been going at all as the water in Savick Brook was already so high.

As we came out of the bottom lock we realized that the Brook was quite high and running quite fast.As we were first to go all the other 5 locks had been set for us by the lock keepers so all we had to go was go in, shutthe gates, empty the lock, go out and open a top paddle so the lock would start to fill up ready for the next boats.At lock 8 we went into the lock, shut the gates and had lunch as we had to wait for the other boats to catch up.I made a big pan of soup last night and it was really nice and warming.Eventually we were let out of the lock by the lock keepers and told to go down and wait just before the sea lock.One by one the boats arrived each with their own story of their trip down Savick Brook though no one could beat the grey boat who had somehow managed to get stuck on a weir!The sea lock rotated and we were off.Tamora, grey boat, Mary H, Kimberley Jo and Muffin.Muffin soon overtook three boats, including Mary H, and then we overtook the grey boat and that’s how we arrived at Tartleton.It was a lovely smooth crossing and the sun even tried to come out.I can now say that I have done the ironing in the middle of the River Ribble!

We came through the lock with Muffin and said goodbye to them as they continued down the Rufford Branch.We pulled over for the night at the Tarleton Visitor Moorings as did Tamora, Kimberly Jo and the grey boat.